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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27788611">bones unbroken</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mushroomly/pseuds/mushroomly'>mushroomly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Eventual Happy Ending, GeorgeNotFound-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, I'll add more tags later, M/M, Mental Illness, Sad, TRIGGERWARNINGS, not entirely sure what happens yet, pacing is my friend, read the author's note, sapnap best friend, slowburn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:35:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,024</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27788611</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mushroomly/pseuds/mushroomly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>George, Dream, and Sapnap are all playing Minecraft together for one of George's streams when something weird happens. George ends his stream, and Dream and Sapnap are left to pick up the pieces. </p><p>This was completely unfair. George had always been very careful with the information he shared about himself, but one event abruptly and effectively demolished his composure entirely. All at once, the walls and the image that George had spent his whole life creating had been shattered. </p><p>George had quickly taken action. Almost immediately, he had ended the stream and deleted the vod. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. He had been streaming in front of 100,000 viewers, and the clips had likely already spread to twitter. There was no coming back from this.</p><p>-Read the Author's Note before continuing with the story !!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; GeorgeNotFound &amp; Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>401</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Author's Note</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I know that it is typical for people to skip author's notes, but I would like to strongly recommend that you read at least the important stuff.</p><p>*IMPORTANT*</p><p>I want to start by clarifying that this work is completely fiction. While this story is based on real life people and potentially includes real life events, it is not real and should not be treated as such. Therefore, while I am okay with people reading, interacting, and enjoying this work, I do not want this work talked about directly to the people involved. This includes tagging their social media accounts or commenting on their content (streams, youtube, twitter) in relation to this story. </p><p>- If you are ever unsure about if doing something contradicts these rules, feel free to shoot me a dm or comment on this page, and I will respond. Thank you for respecting these wishes.</p><p>This story contains a number of heavy topics, so I strongly recommend reading the trigger warnings as listed below before engaging with this story.</p><p>- tw // abuse</p><p>- tw // violence</p><p>- tw // substance abuse</p><p>- tw // addiction</p><p>- tw // self harm</p><p>- tw // suicidal thoughts</p><p>- tw // suicide</p><p>Do not repost this work on other platforms. This work is also posted on my Wattpad account (same username); however, any other accounts you see are not mine. Please report if you see someone reposting or taking credit for my work!</p><p>*NOT AS IMPORTANT*</p><p>From this point on, anything in the author's note is not necessarily required to read before starting the story; however, I did include the information in the author's note for a reason if anyone is interested.</p><p>I acknowledge that the content creators in this story have spoken out about their position on shipping and fanfics. This story is currently posted as a result of their permission for posting fanfiction and shipping. If their position ever changes and these things are no longer allowed or encouraged, I will discontinue writing this story out of respect. </p><p>I suppose this is a good time to mention that I am in no way a professional or even talented writer. I enjoy writing and plan to continue doing so, but I wanted to include a disclaimer/warning in advance so that the expectations for this story aren't too high. </p><p>Furthermore, I do have quite a busy life and am not able to commit to a solid update schedule at this point in time. I will do my best to write and update as often as possible but there are unfortunately many limitations and circumstances with my regular schedule, which means that these limitations and circumstances carry over and impact my update schedule as well. </p><p>Comments and kudos are deeply appreciated and encouraging if you enjoy the story, but it is completely okay if you do not feel comfortable doing so. I will try to interact with any comments that I do receive if possible. Please refrain from negative or hateful comments. It is completely unnecessary and quite immature.</p><p>I do not have an editor or any additional help on this work and will likely make mistakes as all people do. Feel free to comment if you catch any mistakes or inaccuracies in my writing, and I will work to fix them. I want my story to be as enjoyable, entertaining, and accurate as possible.</p><p>You can learn more about me through my profile, but my pronouns are they/them. </p><p>Happy reading! I hope you enjoy :)</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the first real chapter. I know authors usually include their author's notes in the actual notes place, but mine was quite long, so I gave it a chapter for itself. I haven't really used this website for writing, so I'm not entirely sure how to work everything. Please be patient with me as I am trying my best. As stated in the author's note, my life is quite busy, which means that the update schedule will not be consistent. I will try to write and update whenever I have the chance. Until then, I hope you enjoy the story. Comments and kudos are both greatly appreciated and incredibly motivating if you are interested. Also, feel free to let me know if the lengths of a chapter are too long or short. I can try my best to make adjustments as needed.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A soft giggle could be heard through the discord call. Dream's icon lit up in sync with the sound causing George to sigh dramatically. </p><p>"What is it Dream?" George questioned with a small smile. Dream was quiet for a moment but broke out in a wheeze after Sapnap had giggled as well. George rolled his eyes and clicked back on his Minecraft screen to see what was going on.</p><p>Dream and Sapnap were both crouching in front of George's character and taking turns walking forwards to kiss him. Both men froze a few seconds after George switched his screen back over, but George was able to easily connect the dots because of the delay. George made a mental note that they were both watching his stream.</p><p>He moved his character a few blocks away from the both of them and hissed out a light-hearted scold. "Okay, well there are already like 5,000 people here so let's just pretend that none of you saw that." </p><p>The chat immediately flooded with a mix of "awww" and "suddenly I can't see" messages. George smiled once again and cleared his throat. A few minutes later and about 60,000 viewers had logged onto his stream. The twitch notification and his tweet must have finally gone through. </p><p>Dream and Sapnap brought their characters over towards George again but this time remained a little more distant. Sapnap wondered how far the clip of them kissing George had spread already. With their audience and influence, it was nearly impossible for something to stay secretive or small if it happens on stream. </p><p>George cleared his throat and moved into F5 so that the viewers could see the whole dream team standing beside each other. "So," he started, "based on popular request, we have decided to make a survival stream where we build a house together. We moved to another server since nothing lasts long on the SMP and because there will be less distractions, but we might play on the SMP later so stay tuned I guess."</p><p>George laughed awkwardly while skimming over the chat before just diving into the game. He ran off to punch some trees with Sapnap while Dream was in charge of mining for stone and better tools. </p><p>"What kind of house should we make?" Dream asked while crafting himself a better pickaxe. Sapnap joked about them building a castle, but George made a face that shut his idea down pretty quickly.</p><p>"You could have just said you didn't want to George. No need to get all defensive and grossed out." Sapnap pouted. He maneuvered his character away from George, walking with his head hung while punching the ground. George shook his head in response before continuing to cut down trees.</p><p>"How about a wooden cabin?" Dream suggested. "We could build something cozy with a fireplace... we can put down some carpet."</p><p>"and then we can watch the sunset together and snuggle up by the fireplace-" Sapnap was cut off by a wheeze coming from Dream. George smiled and let out a short laugh but didn't deny the idea. They were already getting wood, so the idea wasn't awful. </p><p>Dream luckily knew his best friend well enough to understand the silence was confirmation enough. He then decided to join in with Sapnap's joking around. "Yeah and every night  before we get into bed, George can give us both a kiss like that one day with Callahan." </p><p>George raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth while exaggerating  his reaction for the stream. "George come give me a kiss right now." Sapnap demanded. His character was still crouching, and he was moving closer to George. </p><p>George giggled like a child and moved closer, but he didn't have any plans to kiss Sapnap. When he got close enough, George smacked him in the head and then sprinted away. Sapnap erupted in shouts and started angrily chasing George around.</p><p>While George was running, he thought back to how this same situation had occurred when they were trying to upgrade the community house on the SMP. He let out another giggle at the thought of Dream acting as their dad while the two fought like children.</p><p>"Ohhhh  Georgie Poo!!! Come here George!!" Sapnap shouted as he sprinted behind George swinging his sword. He must have made it when he had snuck away from George earlier. George's laugh echoed through the mic as he squealed trying to get away from Sapnap.</p><p>George took a sudden turn to avoid a ravine, and Sapnap was able to gain enough momentum to hit him. Half of his hearts had disappeared, and George screamed out in a mix of fear and disbelief. "How are you so strong?!"</p><p>George could see a green blob in the corner of his screen and immediately ran towards that direction. Dream stood by a tree with an iron axe watching as his best friends weaved through the forest and made their way towards him. George led the chase, but Sapnap was hot on his tail.</p><p>"Dream's not going to save you now George. The only way that this ends is with my sword shoved down your throat." Sapnap stated without thinking. </p><p>Dream wheezed at the implications and even George let out a small giggle at the comment. Sapnap laughed when he realized what he said but didn't retract his statement. The maturity level of their group was unbelievable. </p><p>George quickly glanced towards chat to see how they were reacting to the scene. A few dirty words and phrases moved down the screen, but a majority of the text was filled with laugh emotes and random keysmashes. His reading was interrupted by another hit by Sapnap leaving George with half a heart.</p><p>"Daddy-" George shouted out before everyone froze. He felt as his face immediately began to heat up. It was a simple slip up with words as a result of the intensity of running paired with the few dirty messages that littered his stream chat, but he knew he wouldn't be living this down.</p><p>Dream broke out wheezing and Sapnap laughed so hard it was starting to hurt George's ears. George let out a small chuckle, but he couldn't bring himself to genuinely laugh because of his embarrassment. He held his head in his hands and pulled them down his face as if it would make the redness disappear. </p><p>"Aww Dream look he's blushing" Sapnap pointed out proudly. Dream wheezed harder and George covered his face entirely. He sunk into the back of his chair and hid himself in his sweatshirt.</p><p>"George-" Dream's continued wheezing cut off his own comment, but he took a deep breath and tried again. "George if you wanted to call me... daddy, then you could have just said so." Dream fell into another wheezing fit that was quickly covered up by Sapnap's booming laugh.</p><p>"Oh my god you guys are so immature" George spoke out quietly. His mic was a little muffled as a result of his position in his chair. He took a few more seconds to compose himself before mustering up the courage to look at the chat.</p><p>As he assumed, the chat was in shambles. There were a series of question marks, exclamation marks, emotes, teasing messages, and clips flooding through the chat. George hung his head for a second before sighing and returning to the game. </p><p>Sapnap and Dream hadn't continued playing yet, but their laughs were starting to quiet down. George chopped some more trees up until he had enough wood to comfortably start building. While he was collecting wood, he listened to the conversation that Dream and Sapnap were having and occasionally laughed along or talked to his viewers.</p><p>The daddy comment was teased for about 10 minutes relentlessly before the excitement of the situation died down some more. The stream was about 15 minutes in now, and the dream team had started the foundation of their cabin.</p><p>The idea was cozy and small. There would be a shared bedroom with three beds placed beside each other and a kitchen. In the bedroom, Sapnap's bed was on the left, Dream's in the middle, and George's on the right. Sapnap moved the beds in that order to honor his reputation as the big spoon, and the others didn't care enough to change anything. </p><p>George surprisingly went as far as acknowledging that he would definitely be the little spoon, which was weird for the fans to hear confirmed despite already knowing it was true. George was the smallest of the group. </p><p>"Oh come on chat. I don't need to be the big spoon." Dream huffed out. The chat was interested in the lack of argument on Dream's behalf, especially knowing he liked to be considered the alpha male. </p><p>"I mean if you really think about it, the whole situation is unrealistic." He stated in order to defend himself. "I can be the hypothetical middle spoon in this situation because realistically George probably wouldn't even cuddle with us anyways. He seems like the type to awkwardly run away from hugs. Plus, Sapnap totally radiates little spoon energy." Most of the chat agreed with Dream, but a lot of them yelled at him for ruining the mood of their hypothetical cuddle session anyways. </p><p>George desperately tried to ignore the bad feeling that had crept up on him. He shoved the brief thoughts about his discomfort around being held to the back of his head and instead continued on with the building. Chat didn't seem to notice when the man had pulled his hoodie sleeves further down towards his hands. Why was his body so shaky all of a sudden?</p><p>George tried his hardest to ignore his unexplained paranoia by immersing himself in an argument with Dream. The two were currently bickering about the fireplace while Sapnap went to find sand for the glass windows of their cabin. </p><p>"No, Dream that looks ugly. We need a block that isn't flammable and matches the spruce wood in our house. That just looks completely wrong and out of place." George whined. </p><p>"George you're colorblind. How do you know it looks bad?" Dream shot back. George paused momentarily not exactly knowing how to respond. Dream quickly filled the silence with a suggestion, "Let's ask chat then. Chat, put a '1' if this looks fine, or put a '2' if the blocks don't match, and we need to change them."</p><p>The chat was flooded with a mix of the numbers and both men sat silently trying to figure out what to do now. Luckily, George's mods created a poll. In about five minutes, the results would be in. George checked his viewer count and realized that there was now around 100,000 people watching the stream. </p><p>A loud ding went off catching everyone's attention. They all involuntarily checked their phones for notifications and made sure that they were not the ones who forgot to mute. George's eyes scrunched up in confusion at his mother's message. The words "I'm so sorry" staring back at him.</p><p>He messaged back a question mark, the discomfort and paranoia from earlier creeping back into his head along with a flash of concern for his mother. Before his mother even had the chance to reply, George received another text from an unknown number. </p><p>The ding rang out again and this time both Sapnap and Dream had known it wasn't from them. "George, mute your damn phone already." Sapnap spoke teasingly. George unconsciously brought his fingers to the mute button and silenced his phone.</p><p>His eyes darted between his mother's message and the unknown number before deciding to open the message that he was sent. Immediately, George's face paled and his body felt far away. He could briefly see the addition of another notification from his mom pop up at the top of his screen before disappearing again, but everything was out of focus. </p><p>He stared down at the picture he was sent and the message attached to it all of a sudden feeling incredibly sick. In the background, Dream jumped up and shouted out in excitement about winning the poll, and the chat flooded with a majority of congratulations with some disappointed reactions. "George?" Dream spoke out after getting no response.</p><p>George couldn't hear a thing. He realized suddenly how tight his chest felt, and he sucked in a deep breath. When did it get so hot in his room? The phone slipped from out of his hand and clattered on the ground. </p><p>When Dream heard the deep breath, he immediately switched out of Minecraft and full screened George's stream. He got there quick enough to see as George dropped his phone, and he watched as his friend's eyes darted around the room frantically. </p><p>George pushed back in his chair slightly, all of a sudden feeling trapped. It was like he was being suffocated. He was aware enough to realize that something bad was happening, and it took him far too long to realize that he was about to have a breakdown in front of 100,000 viewers as well as his two closest friends. </p><p>George shot forward and closed out of the Minecraft world. He could faintly hear his name being called in his headset, but he couldn't wrap his head around if it was Dream's voice, Sapnap's voice, or even a mix of them both. It didn't matter. </p><p>George ended his stream next. He didn't say a word to the chat or even acknowledge their worried messages. Within a few moments, he had already deleted the 25 minute vod. George wasn't worried about the future. He just needed to disappear right now, and he couldn't do that with 100,000 viewers watching him live or sharing video clips of him.</p><p>Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew that the clips had likely already been created and shared, or that someone was screen recording the whole thing for the content. George shook out his hands in frustration before disconnecting from the voice channel where Dream and Sapnap were worriedly calling out for him. </p><p>Dream and Sapnap were his two closest friends, and he trusted them both more than he was comfortable admitting. However, Dream and Sapnap didn't know the truth, and he couldn't handle being around anyone right now, including his two closest friends. Another day, he would probably live to regret these decisions, but at this moment in time, George wasn't even sure he wanted to live another day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>George had finally closed off of his stream and left the discord channel with his friends. He could slightly pick up on the messages and calls lighting up his computer screen, but he was too zoned out to comprehend what they said. </p><p>George shakily stood from his chair and bent over to grab his phone from where it fell on the floor. He looked down at the image that he was sent. The photo of him standing beside his father as a child seemed to stare back at him. </p><p>George remembered the moment quite clearly as he did with many of his memories involving his father. He was younger in the photo, but the bags under his eyes, skinny frame, and forced smile hinted at a complicated life that nobody recognized until it was too late.</p><p>He closed out of the photo with a shake of his head and instead focused on the message that was attached. </p><p>'Your mother sent me your number.  I've already missed out on so much of your life, and I don't want to lose anymore time with you. I would like to meet with you again and reconnect. I can't imagine losing you again. Message me back.'</p><p>George quickly closed out of the message, and the phone was flying through the air a few seconds later. It landed with a soft thud on his mattress. George sat in his chair for a few seconds trying to wrap his head around the message before he slammed his hand down on the desk. </p><p>Why would his mother do this to him after everything? What could possibly cause her to sell out her son after everything that had happened in the past? Next thing he knew, his hand was slamming into his desk once again. </p><p>George found himself laying with his head down in between his hands, which were still tightly clenched and resting on his desk. He took a few deep breaths in attempts to calm himself, but the longer he sat the more angry he got. </p><p>It wasn't until he heard his phone vibrating that he decided to get up. George was completely unaware of his surroundings. He hadn't noticed all of the notifications rapidly flying by on his computer screen as his friends grew more and more concerned. He didn't comprehend that he had spent about 10 minutes struggling to breathe while sitting at his desk before snapping out of his trance.</p><p>When he finally found his phone in his comforter, he checked the screen to find that the vibrations were a result of Dream calling him. He quickly declined the call and unlocked his screen.</p><p>George clicked onto his messages once again and opened the conversation with his mother only to find that she never responded back. George pushed aside all of the anger he carried and quickly replaced it with worry. It didn't make sense for her to willingly give out George's number to anyone... especially not his father.</p><p>He quickly ringed her. After a few rings she answered the call. George unintentionally hushed his breathing as soon as the line connected. The weight in his chest made him feel as though he would collapse, so he took a seat on the edge of his bed. </p><p>"Honey, listen-" George's mother began. George let out a relieved breath at the sound of his mother's voice. Before he could question her, she continued speaking. "I know I should have told you what was happening, but I didn't want to scare you off."</p><p>George still hadn't comprehended what his mother was talking about, but she continued on in a rush anyways. It was as if the conversation was completely one-sided. She had only wanted to get everything out in the open as quickly as possible.</p><p>"I have known that your dad was getting out early for a while now. I've even visited him a few times while he was in prison. I truly believe he is a changed man and that's the only reason I gave him your number. You know I wouldn't ever want to put you in a dangerous situation honey-"</p><p>George physically flinched back from his phone. He couldn't believe what his mother was saying. She should have known George wouldn't want to ever see or hear from his father again. He couldn't help but scoff into the phone.</p><p>George's voice was quiet and shaky when he spoke. It didn't take a genius to realize that the composed man's usual unfazed expression and demeanor had shattered entirely. "I need to go... just- please don't call or message me again" He said. George hung up the phone before his mother could even respond.</p><p>He stared at the screen for a few moments before powering it off completely. George didn't want to receive another call or message from anyone. He didn't trust himself to have any conversations at the moment. Everything was so wrong, and he didn't know what to do or how to react.</p><p>George had valued his appearance and his ability to remain neutral. Throughout all the stuff he had been exposed to on streams, he had always managed to hide his true reactions and emotions, but now everything had been ruined completely. </p><p>He knew that his father would be released eventually, but he didn't expect things to happen this way. George got up from his position on his bed and moved to power down his computer as well.</p><p>After everything was turned off, he tried to calm himself down and compose himself again. How could he let his emotions control him so easily? George closed his eyes for a moment, shook out his hands, took a few deep breaths, and then headed to the bathroom.</p><p>He turned the faucet on its coldest setting and let it run for a few seconds before splashing his face with the water. His hands dragged down the front of his face to remove any excess water that remained. </p><p>Looking up to his mirror he stared intently at his reflection. All of a sudden, George could see himself as a younger boy. He remembered the sight of tears streaming down his face, remembered the pain that caused those tears, and imagined the events that followed. The memories were too much to handle. </p><p>His eyes shut tightly in attempts to block out the negative thoughts, and his hands gripped the edges of the sink to stabilize his body that had suddenly started to sway. Why was this happening now? He was supposed to be okay. Years had passed since everything had happened. Things were supposed to be okay. A whimper left his mouth without his permission.</p><p>All at once, George found himself angry once again. He looked up into his mirror and smashed his fist into the glass, effectively shattering his reflection. It was an instant eye-opener. He should have remembered that pain always snapped him out of his trances. After all, the initial realization was what had led him to develop such dangerous coping mechanisms in the first place.</p><p>George found himself staring at the cracked glass and warped reflection for a few seconds before he brought his fist up and smashed into the glass even harder. He punched the mirror again and again until a larger piece of glass had fallen into the sink and interrupted his rage. </p><p>His eyes followed the glass as it fell into the running water and watched as the water turned a soft shade of pink. A few smaller pieces slowly followed suit and fell into the sink as well, and George stepped back to observe the sight. </p><p>His mirror was now a wreck, with little glass actually left standing. Most of the pieces had fallen onto the floor and shattered further while some had landed in the sink. George looked down at his hand and realized a few shards were sticking out of his broken skin.</p><p>It took him a couple seconds to realize that the blood on the mirror and in the sink was from his hands, which were damaged while punching the glass. He adjusted his hand slightly in order to pull a piece of glass out and winced as the pain finally caught up to him.</p><p>As destructive as it was, George knew that letting out his anger had helped him manage his emotions. With those thoughts in his mind, he glanced towards his mirror once more before deciding to clean up the mess he created. He wouldn't want his cat to walk in and hurt itself.</p><p>In order to clean the larger mess, George knew he would have to handle his own injuries first. He walked out of the bathroom and headed towards an unopened box in the closet of his room. The box was pushed to the back of his top shelf, and it took a few seconds to manage to bring it down especially considering he was only able to use his weak hand.</p><p>George found himself glaring at the excess tape that was forcing the box closed. At the time it had seemed smart to lock away all the painful reminders of the past, but now he was only frustrated with himself because he had managed to lock his first aid kit in there as well.</p><p>George stomped to the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors, and he aggressively stabbed his way into the box upon his return. The box ripped open after a few hard pulls that left George wincing as he held his injured hand.</p><p>George hesitantly reached into the large box and ignored all of the memories and pain that washed over him at the sight of the items inside. He carefully pushed a small sweater to the side and retrieved the battered first aid kit.</p><p>The box was shoved out of sight as soon as George had found what he needed. He tugged on the zipper of the first aid kit until it opened to reveal an abundance of medical supplies.</p><p>With shaky hands and blurred vision, George did his best to remove the glass shards with a pair of tweezers. There was an uncomfortable pit in his stomach as George took in the familiarity of bandaging his wounds and injuries. Realistically, he knew that having a larger first aid kit filled to the brim with supplies wasn't normal. What about his life had ever been normal though?</p><p>George moved on autopilot after that. His body went through the motions of packing up his first aid kit and continued on until he had finished cleaning the mess in his bathroom. The tears that had once filled his eyes and distorted his vision had now passed, and the thoughts that overwhelmed his head had disappeared almost completely.</p><p>George had managed to shut his emotions out again. It didn't matter that the world around him seemed far away or that his mind had started to feel separate from his body. George had managed to reach a level of composure once again, and to him this meant that he would be able to recover.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello! I wanted to write a quick note apologizing for a lack of updates on my behalf. I actually wrote a second chapter a few weeks ago but decided it wasn't good enough and scrapped the whole thing. I wasn't planning on waiting this long to update but a lot has happened since I initially posted this work, and I got distracted. I have a lot of stuff going on in my personal life at the moment, finals took up a lot of my time, and I actually almost died the other week... so I have been pretty occupied. That being said, I hope this chapter doesn't suck too badly. </p><p>Also, I just wanted to say that I created a twitter account to explain more about updates and to interact more with my audience and other creators. I would really recommend following if you want more insight on my writing schedule, but it obviously isn't required. I might also use the twitter account for advice or help deciding small points of the story if anyone is interested in contributing with that. The account is @mushroomiy with an 'i' because my regular @ was already taken. It has the same pfp as my account here and on Wattpad.</p><p>Please continue commenting or interacting with this work if you enjoy it and feel comfortable enough to do so! It means a lot to see and really encourages me to write more :) Hope everyone is well!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been after two days of nothing when George had finally reappeared. Numerous calls and messages left unanswered and ignored, only for him to finally break the silence with a tweet. </p><p>Dream had been scrolling through his twitter already when he got the notification, and he nearly dropped his phone when he fully comprehended what it meant. His fingers had moved quickly to pull up his friend's tweet.</p><p>
  <em>'Hey everyone. Sorry about any concern or worry caused because of my last livestream and the disappearance afterwards. Sapnap's mom had actually messaged me while live, and I obviously had to go take care of that. </em>
  <em>Regardless of what happened, I do appreciate the love. I have a fun stream planned for tomorrow and some exciting news to share at the start so make sure to check it out.'</em>
</p><p>Dream found himself squinting down at his phone to re-read the tweet. After two days of complete silence that is what George had decided to say? One quick look through the comments showed that none of his fans believed the comment about Sapnap's mom, but surprisingly most people were responding to others who were pressing the situation.</p><p>Dream clicked off of George's tweet and refreshed his timeline. Mentions of how fans weren't entitled to a streamer's private or personal information quickly rose in popularity and were being mass retweeted by many accounts. </p><p>The tweets being shared within the fandom were similar to those shared during the situation where people were pressing Dream for information about his sexuality. A small scowl made its way to Dream's face at the thought.</p><p>He only allowed himself to be distracted for a few moments before remembering the problem at hand. With those thoughts in mind, Dream closed out of his twitter account and opened a new message to George.</p><p>
  <em>'I saw your tweet about streaming tmrw, but I just wanted to check in and make sure everything is okay. Text or call me whenever you get the chance.'</em>
</p><p>He waits a few minutes for a response, but the delivered icon remained on his screen indicating that George hadn't even opened his message yet. His phone started buzzing in his hand, and he eagerly looked down towards the screen hopeful that George had decided to call him.</p><p>An older picture of Sapnap stared back at him indicating that the younger boy was trying to talk. He found himself swiping the screen to answer the call and pushing away the disappointment he felt. He enjoyed talking to Sapnap, but George was his priority. Dream would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about George or that he didn't miss him.</p><p>The three of them were used to at least texting everyday, so it was a weird change in pace to not hear from George for two days especially after the way he left their last interaction. </p><p>Sapnap's sigh hinted that he was feeling the same way, but he still hadn't commented on the situation vocally. Dream set his phone to speaker so he wouldn't have to hold the phone himself, and he lowered the phone to his desk. The call remained quiet for a few uncomfortable moments before Sapnap decided to break the silence.</p><p>"He's deflecting with humor." Sapnap stated bitterly. The disappointment lacing his voice was overwhelming, but Dream couldn't keep himself from letting out a small chuckle at the bluntness of the comment.</p><p>"It's George," Dream retorted. "That's the most emotion we've ever seen from him show within all our years of knowing him, and it was also broadcasted live to all of his viewers. Usually he wouldn't have to respond to these things at all."</p><p>Dream didn't know why he had gotten so defensive or why he pushed so hard to explain George's side of things, but he let out a breath of relief when Sapnap didn't comment about it.</p><p>"Do you ever think about it?" Sapnap questioned. Dream sat confused for a few moments not entirely understanding what his friend was asking. </p><p>Luckily, Sapnap interpreted Dream's silence as confusion and pushed to clarify himself. "I mean, do you ever find it weird how secretive he is? It doesn't make sense that over all these years he has never been upset. Realistically it must have happened, so why does he always hide it from us?"</p><p>Dream wants to defend George, but a part of him understands where Sapnap's pain is coming from. Flashes of late night discord calls while growing up run through his head. Hours of vulnerable conversations between Dream and Sapnap with George only sitting quietly and listening in plagued his mind.</p><p>"I mean come on Dream," Sapnap huffed. "We've cried to him before, but he doesn't even trust us enough to send a fucking text letting us know he's okay." The anger in his friend's voice didn't surprise him. Sapnap had always lashed out when he was especially hurt.</p><p>The younger boy liked to fight his problems and emotions head on with as much force as possible. His hostility and strength acted as a shield that would protect him from anything bad he was faced with. There were times, however, where he would openly admit to his sadness or show his weaknesses when around his closest friends, but for the most part he remained consistent.</p><p>Dream himself had always been more open with his emotions: he valued honesty, transparency, and vulnerability. Dream wasn't ever embarrassed about wearing his feelings and emotions on his sleeves. It's why he would get choked up after receiving an especially nice message from a friend or why his eyes would fill with tears whenever he reached an important sub goal on his channel.</p><p>George was always harder to read because he pushed for privacy and control at all times. He had never opened up to his friends when he was feeling genuinely upset about something, which ultimately made it harder to establish boundaries within their friendship.</p><p>George hadn't ever expressed sadness or problems in relation to his personal life, and if Dream was being honest, he wasn't entirely sure that George had encountered many problems or issues because of this reason.</p><p>Dream thinks back to when Luca had passed and remembers how Sapnap and himself had only found out when the stream had. He remembers watching George as he became more uncomfortable with his expressions and the comments he made, and he remembers how George had turned off his camera and mic completely in order to avoid any chances of showing too much.</p><p>"Dream?" Sapnap called out. The noise effectively pulled Dream from his mind, and he made a small hum to prove that he was listening. His mind briefly wandered back to the previous topic, and he found himself deciding that George was obviously the strongest mentally of their group.</p><p>"Dude, are you even listening to anything I've been saying?" Sapnap spoke again. Dream's head snapped up at the comment, and he reached over to pick up his phone again. </p><p>"I'm sorry," Dream admitted, "I was just thinking about some stuff. I really didn't mean to zone out completely like that."</p><p>Sapnap shook his head slightly and let out a small chuckle at Dream's confusion. "It's alright. I was just asking if we should add Quackity to the call. He messaged and said he wanted to talk to us both." </p><p>Dream didn't answer vocally but instead just moved to add their other friend. It took a few seconds before his voice finally rang out in the call showing that he had successfully joined.</p><p>Quackity didn't waste anytime with introductions and instead dove straight to the point. "Have you guys spoke to George at all? I don't want to intrude on any like personal things, but when we talked today he seemed kind of weird, and I just wanted to make sure that things were okay."</p><p>Dream opened his mouth to respond before closing it again. He shook his head slightly and dragged his fingers over his eyes. He should have known George was only ignoring Sapnap and himself. The three had been friends for years, and he still didn't reach out to them but instead contacted Quackity. His eyes rolled on impulse.</p><p>"He hasn't been answering our messages or calls actually," Dream spoke, the bitterness of his tone seeping through so much that it quickly became obvious how he felt. Quackity paused a moment at Dream's attitude making sure to choose his words carefully. </p><p>"He only reached out to me because he didn't want to stream alone. He sounded really..." Quackity's mind searched for the right words but ultimately came up empty. "I don't know. It just wasn't right. He asked about if I would be able to remain high energy. It just doesn't seem like him, which is why I called you guys. I was a little worried."</p><p>The uncomfortable pit in Dream's stomach ached. News of George's behavior worried him further. His friend had always seemed to handle things by hiding behind a constructed image, and even though he didn't know the details or the personal aspects of George's life, he knew enough to tell that Quackity's presence during the stream was to deflect any serious questions or discussions that may arise.</p><p>George was using Quackity to solidify his solid image. The smiles, jokes, laughs, and high energy of his next stream would effectively push away any negative emotions that his audience may be able to pick up on. George had always been careful. He had always been composed and thoughtful. Quackity's involvement only showcased how controlled George really was.</p><p>A loud bang echoed throughout the call effectively shattering Dream's thought process. His body jerked back slightly at the noise before relaxing at the realization that it was only Sapnap. The younger boy's anger had obviously resurfaced once again. Dream could visualize the slam of Sapnap's hands against his desk, and the shake it created as everything reacted to the movement.</p><p>"What's the plan for his stream?" Sapnap asked, his words sharp and reeking of resent.</p><p>Quackity stuttered out visibly thrown off by Sapnap's tone. "We were going to play Roblox for his stream and then stay around for whatever I have planned." </p><p>The tension flooded the call, so Quackity took it upon himself to try to diminish it. "If you want, you can join my stream to see him..." He suggested. "We'll be live, so the conversation is limited, but it would open up communication. I could go on the SMP or something, I don't know."</p><p>Dream considered the offer carefully, reviewing all of the benefits and potential consequences associated with the action. Talking to George was something that he couldn't refrain from much longer, and he was sure that Sapnap felt the same way. At the same time, he didn't want to pressure George in front of all the viewers and cause problems between the pair.</p><p>"We'll be there." Sapnap confirms before leaving the call completely. Dream lifts his hands up and squints his nose at the lack of discussion. With a small breath, he drops his hands down on his desk once again, and his fingers fall into a comfortable rhythm tapping against the smooth wood.</p><p>Dream clears a small itch from his throat before thanking Quackity; briefly confirming their scheduled plan for tomorrow; and then disconnecting from the call as well. He feels that the aching pain in his body has subsided drastically over the last few minutes and while he was still worried about his best friend, the thought that he would speak to him again and hear his voice again soon lifted much of the heavy weight he was carrying from his chest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I absolutely hate the way this chapter is written, and I've tried multiple times to fix things but unfortunately the events of this filler chapter were pretty much unavoidable. I apologize greatly if this is unenjoyable or boring to read. I have some really interesting future events and ideas planned for this story, but I couldn't start working on them until I finished this chapter. That being said, after a while of struggling, I decided to simply post the chapter as it is and move on. There might be a time in the future where I come back to edit and attempt fixing this chapter, but until then this version will remain posted.</p><p>Moving on from that, I would like to once again point out that I have recently set up a twitter account for my writing if anyone is interested in reaching out. The account is @mushroomiy with an "i" instead of an "L". </p><p>Hope everyone had an okay New Years and holidays, and I hope everyone is doing well! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, very motivating, and nice to see in general so please feel free to interact if you are enjoying the work and comfortable doing so :]</p><p>See you all next time &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>George's eyes were tired and empty, but the moment that his stream started up, a new breath of life and energy spread through him. The previously sunken eyes now filled with light, and his cheeks twitched in irritation at the strain from smiling so large. </p><p>His eyes followed the number of viewers as they rose higher and higher. He watched his stream from a separate tab as his hands waved excitedly towards the camera in a greeting, the reflection of himself causing discomfort to rise in the pit of his stomach. George quickly turned his attention away from the window.</p><p>"Hey everybody!" George spoke, his voice breaking through the rough silence in his room. The chat quickly zoomed by his screen, and he did his best to catch any of the things being said. A few concerned messages caught his eye, but the chat seemed to be positive and supportive for the most part.</p><p>Despite the time that had passed, everything was still far away and wrong. George sat alone in his room surrounded by nothing except the echo of his voice, yet somehow he was also broadcasting to around 50,000 viewers. The conflict between what he could physically see as opposed to reality gripped at his throat uncomfortably.</p><p>Desperate to get into his stream and escape the deafening silence, George rushed to introduce his plans. "I'm going to start this stream by saying that I've got an important announcement."</p><p>"After a lot of thought and planning, I have decided to finally open a PO box so that you guys can send me stuff since it has been requested so much. That being said, I have also come to the decision that I want to do a stream opening some of the stuff that you all sent. I'm going to post my information on twitter right now so that everyone can see where to send stuff if they are interested."</p><p>Without glancing at the chat, George moved to open his twitter and post the premade draft with the location of his PO box. "I'm hoping that there might be some stuff delivered already when I stream again this weekend; however, I realize that it might take a while for things to start arriving, so we will wait it out and see what happens. If not, I'm still planning to stream something, but I'm not sure what it will be yet."</p><p>George paused to see chat's reaction and was relieved to see that the news of the PO box effectively hindered any previous tension or concern. The messages moved quickly, but it was easy to notice a common question about boundaries and clothing sizes as they flew by in all the chaos.</p><p>"I don't have many boundaries, but I ask to keep things respectful and appropriate. Do not send me anything gross. If you're conflicted about if something is considered gross or inappropriate just don't bother sending it. I won't be accepting any kinds of food, drinks, or candy for my own safety, so I don't recommend sending any. As for clothing and shoe sizes, I will post them on my alt twitter account so it's easy to find."</p><p>George sat quietly for a second. He followed the chat as it moved hoping to catch anything important, but after a few moments he realized that he had zoned out. A couple concerned messages started to appear once again, so George rushed into the next part of his stream.</p><p>His mouse dragged smoothly across his desktop, and he clicked onto his discord to undeafen. Almost instantly, the call was flooded with Quackity's booming laugh. "Oh George," Quackity called out in between giggles. "Are you ready to pop off?" His voice held a playful tone that brought a small smile to George's mouth despite the aching feeling in his chest.</p><p>George pushed to widen his smile, exaggerating his joy to perfect his image. "We're gonna pop off! We're popping off!" He said in an equally giddy tone, slamming his hands up and down for further effect. Quackity let out a small squeal at the action, and George maneuvered his computer to reveal the Roblox screen to the viewers.</p><p>George allowed his energy to diminish some in order to clarify the plans for today's stream. "Quackity has somehow managed to make yet another Roblox account despite being banned several times, so we are going to play around for a few hours or until he inevitably gets banned again. He made a list of games that he wants us to try out, and we're going to go through and play as many as possible. After that, I'm going to end my stream to raid Quackity, and we're gonna play on the SMP. I'm going to stick around for his stream though, so make sure to stay the whole time." George finished.</p><p>George waited patiently for a minute and waited for the chat to catch up and take in all the information that they were given. Ultimately, it was Quackity who had pushed to start the game.</p><p>"Hey George," he called out slowly. George squinted his eyes suspiciously at his friend whilst waiting for him to continue. "I have the first game we are going to play..." he trailed off.</p><p>George hovered over his friend's Roblox account to see what game he had entered and scoffed loudly at what he had seen before letting out a strained laugh. He joined the game with a shake of his head and drowned out the noise of Quackity loudly laughing while his screen loaded.</p><p>When he joined the game, he was greeted by an introduction screen, and he dropped his head onto his desk in embarrassment. Quackity had chosen a fucking ballerina game, and judging by the sound of his laugh, he was really enjoying George's flustered reaction. </p><p>After a few short seconds, George lifted his head from his desk and opened the guide, which told him where to go to dance and how to change his appearance. George followed the instructions to the second floor and walked into the wardrobe. </p><p>He cringed back at the outfit choices before sighing and dressing up his character with a black tutu and a matching shirt. Upon walking out of the changing room, he was ambushed by Quackity laughing in his face. </p><p>George chuckled slightly at his friend's teasing but decidedly moved past his character and instead headed to the hairstyle choices. While walking to pick a new hairstyle, George had accidentally stepped on a red button that removed his current hair entirely. </p><p>His character was now bald and wearing a black leotard and tutu. The sight alone was enough to cause him to break out into laughter, but paired with Quackity's overdramatic hyperventilating, it was all too funny. </p><p>"George," Quackity coughed out after a few moments. "George please leave your character like that it's so funny." He pleaded, clearing his throat again in attempts to recover from his laughing fit. George's eyes rolled, but the smirk on his face hinted at the amusement he felt and the lightheartedness of the situation.</p><p>"I was trying to do this anyways. I don't want my hair in my face while I'm..." George trailed off searching for the right term, "turning?" His uncertainty with his answer caused both boys to chuckle once again. Eventually, the two calmed down, and George ran up a staircase out of the room with Quackity following closely behind.</p><p>When they reached the top of the staircase, they were presented with a studio room littered with a few wooden bars and a couple other people dressed in similar clothing. "This feels so wrong" George murmured while making sure to show his discomfort for the stream.</p><p>"Stop. Stop, it's fine. Don't make this weird." Quackity ordered. George brought his character over to one of the bars and jumped up onto it. Meanwhile, Quackity pushed a button on his screen that resulted in his character doing a continuous spin.</p><p>"Look George I'm popping off!" He called out. George turned his character's head to see what Quackity was doing and instantly became both jealous and confused.</p><p>"Wait how are you doing that?" George called out as he started randomly clicking through the keys on his keyboard hoping for something to happen. Quackity ignored George completely and sat laughing as his character went through all the actions available. </p><p>None of the keys were allowing George to move in the ways Quackity did, so he looked closer at the options available to him from his screen. He eagerly clicked on a button to open a menu, and a few seconds later his character squatted down onto the bar. </p><p>"I'm popping off too. We're popping off." George called out, the energy and joy in his voice making an appearance once again. One look at his chat signified the positive reaction that the viewers were having to the ballet game. George was grateful he had invited Quackity: he was the best person to do this stream with.</p><p>After a few minutes of watching Quackity attempt to put together a dance routine using the available movements, a small notification popped up on George's stream alerting him that he had received a donation from one of his viewers. </p><p>"Thank you for the $40 donation gogywastaken!" George quickly tabbed out of the game on his screen so that he could review all of the missed notifications from earlier at the realization that they must have been piling up.</p><p>"Thank you for the 10 gifted, baby." As George spoke, he recognized the username from a stream that happened a while back.  A small smile made its way to George's lips at the reminder of the funny memory with his best friend.</p><p>Quackity's in-game character approached George slowly, and Quackity went silent on the other side of the call. Immediately noticing the lack of sound, George quickly opened his game again. Quackity's character stood directly in front of George's squatting one bobbing his head forwards repeatedly. </p><p>"Oh my god-" George choked out. He was quick to react and pull his character backwards, but it was far too late. Quackity was screaming about something in the background, but George sat with a blank look on his face following his friend's action. This was like the crafting table or the kissing situation all over again. </p><p>George feigned annoyance to the stream and glanced over the chat to see them going crazy at the implications of what they had just seen. George's face was forced into a joking frown, and he stared directly at his camera to emphasize his negative reaction to the situation. Why had these things always happened to him?</p><p>"Okay-" George tried dismissing. Before he could even finish his sentence, his screen went grey and a small message appeared.</p><p>
  <em>'You have been kicked from this server for inappropriate actions and behaviors. If you feel this situation is a misunderstanding or inaccurate, you can submit a form to our admins to repeal the kick on this game...'</em>
</p><p>George stared at the attached link before bursting out into giggles. Of course Quackity had managed to get them both kicked from the ballerina game not even thirty minutes into playing it. Quackity howled through the call as well, and George found this only inspiring his laughter further. A series of laughing emotes flooded the chat alongside a few other joking comments.</p><p>George's giggling fit finally started to subside, and he placed his hands flat onto his desk while he focused on re-controlling his breathing. Right as his breath began evening out again, Quackity screamed out into the microphone.</p><p>"NO-" he called out. A small bang could be heard on his side of the call signaling that he had thrown something. George involuntarily jumped back at the unexpected noise.</p><p>He clicked onto the discord call to see what was happening only to find that Quackity had turned on screen-sharing. George opened up Quackity's screen and stared at the message displayed before breaking out into absolute hysterics. </p><p>
  <em>'Account Deleted</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Our content monitors have determined that your behavior at Roblox has been in violation of our Terms of Service.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Moderator Note: Your account has been moderated for creating, promoting, or participating in inappropriate behavior or content in your game script. Additionally, this account was created following previous bans and violations of our terms.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your account has been terminated.'</em>
</p><p>Despite having finally calmed down, he quickly found himself exploding in laughter once again at the message Quackity's account was sent. The noise echoed around his otherwise quiet room. George reached up to cover his face with his hands as he laughed out, doing his best to control himself.  </p><p>His hoodie sleeves fell downwards some as a result of their bagginess, and George quickly dropped his hands down to his stomach and out of the camera's view. His genuine happiness and fun seemed to disappear instantly following the fact, but he pushed a few strained chuckles out to give an illusion of calming down on his own.</p><p>How had he made such a stupid mistake? A brief glance towards his left hand was met with an undeniable bruise and cuts from where the glass had broken into his skin. The smile on his face was so obviously forced and wavering, but George couldn't bring himself to muster up anything better. </p><p>Quackity's laugh still covered up the silence, and if he had noticed George's sudden lack of laughter, he chose not to comment on it. Hesitantly, George looked over to his chat still managing to hold the faulty smile. Messages about bruises, cuts, and his hand accounted for the entirety of the messages.</p><p>His already crumbling image took another hard hit, and George scrambled to get back any of his power or control. "Well," George chuckled, "I guess this means I'm going to raid Quackity now for his stream on the SMP."</p><p>Quackity went quiet at the comment sensing the shakiness of George's voice. He moved to set up his stream quickly not completely understanding why they were moving so quickly, but willing to help in any way that he could.</p><p>A couple of awkward beats of silence passed before George cleared his throat and began talking.</p><p>"While he's setting up, I just want to once again bring attention to the fact that I am opening up a PO box and am looking to do an unboxing stream this weekend if possible. If you're interested in sending me something, I posted  the location and sizing charts on my twitter account, which is being spammed in the chat now."</p><p>The link flew through his chat quickly a number of times, and he nodded his head slightly as it passed by once again. Unfortunately, the chat wasn't allowing itself to be distracted as easily this time and a multitude of concerned messages started to plague his thoughts.</p><p>George clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and subconsciously pulled his lip into his mouth. The already chapped skin was easy to pick apart with his teeth, and the burning sensation following a small tug of the broken skin effectively pulled George out of yet another daze.</p><p>"Well before stream ends completely I'm going to catch up on some donations. I know this stream wasn't really long, but it wasn't completely in my control. Either way I'm sorry, but I will definitely be streaming longer next time. Plus, if you stick around you can see me on Quackity's stream too. We are going to be on the SMP, and you really don't want to miss out because he said he has some fun plans."</p><p>George forced a small smile on his face and ultimately made the decision to hide the chat while he waited to finally end the stream. The lack of constant, live responses helped him focus better, but not being able to see or hear anyone else only messed with his head further. </p><p>His face remained relatively blank while reading through all of his previously missed donations. His voice lacked the regular energy. Neither his overly giddy reactions or his fake exaggerated pout were present as he read out the messages. His monotone voice dragged on with little personalization or detail.</p><p>George hadn't known how many messages that he had actually gotten through when the notification of Quackity going live popped up on the edge of his screen, but he was quick to rush out a goodbye and instantly close his own stream. He dragged his mouse over the necessary buttons to host his friend, but the movement felt strained and forced like he was trying to lift his arms above his head after carrying heavy boxes all day.</p><p>George watched with blank eyes as his viewers all shifted over to join Quackity's stream, and he eventually moved the window to his other monitor where he would be able to see it while on Minecraft. </p><p>Although he had never actually lowered the volume, he could hear the music from Quackity's intro getting quieter and quieter as he fell into a more peaceful and relaxed state. The pressure from having his camera on slowly minimizing until it was barely noticeable at all.</p><p>George's shoulders sunk down, and his head lolled to the side slightly as he let out a shaky breath. His eyes closed gently, and then he clenched them shut once, twice, and a third time before opening them fully. </p><p>Quackity's voice made its way into George's headphones from his stream, and George found himself tuning the noise out, reassuring himself that Quackity would send him a discord message when he needed George to unmute himself.</p><p>George loaded into Minecraft and selected the multiplayer option before coming face to face with the Dream SMP server. Before he gave himself the chance to think about it, he clicked the small box causing the server to begin loading in.</p><p>When he spawned in, George's character was swimming in the small pond located next to church prime. Images of a cheeky duel with Callahan flashed in his head as he remembered both men trying to trick the other person into killing them within the boundaries of the holy land.</p><p>George stared down at the little bubbles as the animation slowly ticked down revealing his increasing loss of oxygen the longer he remained underwater. George imagined, for a moment, that this was his real body, forced beneath the surface of the water and waiting to lose his air supply completely.</p><p>He imagined how he might look to an outsider if he were drowning. Would he fight to remain below the surface? Would he push himself down continuously in an effort to keep the air from his lungs? Would he sit calmly towards the bottom until he eventually passed out? How would his body look floating lifelessly towards the top of the water as he lost consciousness?</p><p>One heart of damage, then another. George snapped back to reality and noticed that his character was actually drowning, and he took control of his mouse once again if only to avoid the embarrassing death message. </p><p>George held down the space button, watching his character take continued hits of damage as he swam upwards. He didn't realize he was holding his breath initially, but as his character broke through the water and began regaining the small air bubbles that were previously lost, he found himself very aware of his unusual breathing patterns.</p><p>A small yellow message at the left side of his screen caught his attention almost instantly. </p><p>
  <em>'Dream joined the game.'</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know it's been a while since my last update, but hi I finally finished another chapter. This one is a bit longer than some of the others, and I will honestly say that I really like a couple small things I did in this chapter. Sure it can always be better, but I'm not actually too upset at this (as of now).</p><p>I was scheduled to finish this like 2 hours ago as I posted on my twitter account (@/mushroomiy), but then I noticed that dream was streaming and any momentum that I might have had instantly vanished. </p><p>Was super excited to post this before bed and kind of rushed through my read through, so there might be a few more grammar/spelling mistakes than usual. If anyone catches anything, please don't hesitate to message me on my twitter account or leave a comment about it.</p><p>Speaking of comments... I really appreciate any and all kind words and messages that you are leaving in addition to kudos :] I honestly don't even know how to describe how happy they make me!  Thank you all for the surprising and overwhelming support and kindness &lt;3</p><p>Until next time :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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